I Have Always Cared
by MakorraLove97
Summary: Asami is sitting by a cliff one night as snow falls around her. She feels cold, alone & lost. After everything that has happened to her she's hurting & she now has no one to turn to, at least that is what she thinks. Sitting alone, Iroh comes & sees tears in her eyes. He sits down & talks with her; he comforts her, but can he make her feel not alone & loved again? -After Amon-


**Hi there everyone! So, this is a one-shot of Avatar: The Legend of Korra's Asami and General Iroh. I hope you like it!**

_**Please let me know what you think of it, I would really appreciate it and this is my first Asami/Iroh story, so, please comment/review and share your thoughts on the one-shot; thanks!**_

**I DO NOT OWN AVATAR: THE LEGEND OF KORRA.**

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"_**I Have Always Cared**_**"**

It has now been three weeks since Amon's defeat and the Krew is still staying at the Southern Water Tribe. They are staying in the South Pole in Korra's parents' home. Senna and Tonraq were just so happy to see their daughter after a long period of time and now that she has her bending back, they offered for her and her friends to stay for a few weeks before heading back to Republic City.

Mako and Korra have been spending a lot of time together, since they are a newly couple, but, of course, Tonraq now has been keeping a close eye on the new boy Korra is dating.

Lin has been training with Bolin, teaching him more about metalbending. Even though they're in the South Pole, in the Compound where Korra use to train for being the Avatar, there is earth to bend so that's where Lin has been taking Bolin every morning.

With Rohan just being born, Tenzin, Pema, and the children have spending a load amount of time with Commander Bumi and Katara. General Iroh has been also catching up with his old friend, Bumi, as well.

Then, there is Asami Sato, who has been spending a lot of time by herself. A lot has happened to the young woman and so many changes have occurred for her. First, she lost the man she thought she may have loved to the Avatar, she found out her Father is an Equalist and he went against her, and now her friends are too busy for her.

Korra has Avatar duty to take care of, Mako is working on being a cop, and Bolin is managing the Fire-Ferrets now and is learning metalbending from Chief Beifong. Asami has nothing; she lost so much.

She knows she still has her Father's business to manage now with him in prison, but now she doesn't have her Father by her side anymore; she doesn't have a Father period. Bolin tried talking to her about the subject of her Father, but every time right before she would actually tell him what has been bothering her and how she truly feels, someone would interrupt.

Now, it's a chilly, cold, winter night in the South Pole; like it always is. The snow is falling from the dark, night sky and onto the ground, covering the ground with feet of cold snow. The wind is crispy and powerful gusts of cold wind flows throughout the night. The glowing moon is high in the center of the sky, letting off a small beam of light, making the snow sparkle; looking like small gems that glitter under the moonlight.

The night is silent and everyone is in the home, sleeping as midnight approaches. Everyone that is, except for Asami Sato.

Asami is walking through the snow that reaches right below her knees, her arms folded across her chest as she walks. She is wearing a black parka, her usual dark red pants, and black boots. Her hair cascading down her back as her lime green eyes stay fixated on the snow as she walks.

Her feet make a loud crunching noise as they hit the snow under her as she walks and she could see her breath from the cold air. She takes a deep breath and could feel the cold wind press against her face, making her squint her eyes a little so she could see through the snow better.

Asami walks a bit further until she makes it to a small cliff; similar to where Korra ran off to when she lost her bending and wanted to get away.

Asami stares out at the large ocean, the small light the moon giving off gives the ocean a small shine. Asami falls to her knees and buries her face in her soft, cold hands. Her body is shaking from the lack of heat, but she pays no attention to it.

For the past few weeks, all she wanted to do was do what she is doing now, but she didn't want anyone to see her. Now, she is finally alone and thankfully, no one saw her leave Senna and Tonraq's home since everyone was sleeping.

Asami lets the hot tears slide down her cheeks as she sits there on her knees, crying. She sobs quietly, her body shaking from the cold and from her crying. She thinks back to everything she has lost. She has lost so much already and now she did not even have a Father anymore.

Everyone expects Asami to be this strong, tough, independent eighteen-year-old woman who could handle herself, and even though she is all of those things, she is still, after all, an eighteen-year-old girl. She has feelings and after everything that has happened, she finally had to let her emotions out.

The Nonbender sits there, by the ledge of the cliff, with her hands covering he face as the snow softly falls from the night sky and lands on top of her. Her jet-back, curly hair becoming damp and covered with white snowflakes.

Asami was so lost in her own thoughts that she doesn't hear the quiet sound of the crunching of the snow as a foot steps on it. The sound of the crunching of the snow gets louder and louder with each step as they near the Nonbender.

Asami could feel herself getting light-headed from all the crying she has been doing; she lets out a silent sigh as she squeezes her eyes shut. She doesn't hear the person behind her call her name out to her, but when she feels a warm hand touch her shoulder, she jumps.

The person instantly takes a step back and puts his hands up in a defensive stance. "It's me. It's just me, Asami."

Asami lets out a sigh of relief and forces a small smile as she whips her eyes with the back of her hand, "Oh, hey, Iroh."

The General smiles warmly, "Hey." He notices the dried tear marks on her cheeks and he slowly kneels down beside her, looking her directly in the eyes. His bright golden eyes staring into her emerald green ones.

"Are you alright?" He asks in a soft, quiet voice. A look of concern appears on his face as he stares down at her.

Asami quickly nods her head and once again forces a small smile, "Yeah, of course." She places a piece of stray hair behind her ear and she tilts her head slightly to the side, "What are you doing out here this late at night. It's freezing."

Iroh chuckles and raises an eyebrow at her, "I could be asking you the same thing, no?"

Asami lets out a small laugh and shakes her head, "I suppose."

Iroh's thick eyebrows knit together and he finally asks the question he has been dying to ask ever since he saw her sitting there crying, "Why were you crying? What's wrong? I don't mean to get into your business . . . I'm just . . . concerned."

Asami silently giggles at that; she always liked that about the General since she met him. He was humble, kind, and caring. She takes a deep breath and finally says, "I just have been having a lot on my mind since Amon's defeat. A lot going on and I'm just trying to adjust I guess. I was just walking around trying to clear my mind and I ended up here."

Iroh nods his head slowly and he notices her body slightly shaking from the cold weather. He begins taking off his bright red parka, but Asami quickly places her cold hand on top of his strong arm, trying to stop him. "What are you doing?"

The General gives her a puzzled look before answering her honestly, "I'm giving you my parka. You are shaking; it is freezing out here." He continues to remove his parka, but Asami stops him once more, "And what about you? You'll freeze out here yourself!"

Iroh only grins back at her and fully removes his parka, placing it gently over her shoulders. "Did you forget already? I'm a firebender; I'm warm-blooded. I could warm myself up easily."

Asami rolls her bright eyes and shakes her head, "Just because you can heat yourself up does not mean you won't freeze to death out here in this blizzard weather, Iroh."

Iroh raises one of his eyebrows slightly and cocks his head to the side, "It doesn't?" He sees her roll her eyes and a small smile form on her red lips. He smiles at that and then he sighs, staring out at the large ocean waters.

"Asami, if you don't mind me asking, what is on your mind? I noticed for a while now you haven't been yourself fully and now you are out here in the freezing cold alone and crying." Iroh says as he turns his head to face her, "I know we don't know one another well, but I would like to say we are . . . friends."

Asami sighs and shakes her head, "We are friends and I know I could trust you . . . it's just that . . . there is so much that is on my mind, I don't even know where to begin."

"How about the main thing that is on your mind?" Iroh suggests with his eyebrow once again rising slightly.

Asami looks down at her lap and quietly says, "I'm lost."

"Lost?" Iroh repeats; confused at her answer.

The Nonbender slowly nods her head and takes a deep breath, "I feel so lost, Iroh. I have lost so much and I don't know. I lost my Mother, I lost the man who I thought I loved to Korra, and I . . . I lost my Father. Don't get me wrong, Korra is my friend and I want her and Mako to be happy, but I did care for him and I ended up losing him to the Avatar. My Father . . . he is such a horrible Father, but I miss him. I love him. Now . . . now he is gone and in prison along with all the other Equalists." She pauses for a second before continuing, "My Father and I used to be so close when my Mother died. We did everything together and he taught me how to take care of myself. He loved me and I love him. I was, practically, Daddy's Little Girl. He and I worked on the business together and we were a team. When I was fighting him in the Mega Tanks, I couldn't believe it. The hurtful things he said to me and I realized, he died when my Mother did. That man I was fighting wasn't my Father. I lost him. I lost him a long time ago, but it took me this long to realize it."

Iroh respectfully listens silently as Asami talks, tears stinging at her eyes as she continues to talk. "I miss my Mother so much, Iroh. I miss, not necessarily Mako, but I miss that kind of relationship. I miss my Father; my caring, loving Father who loved me like I loved him. The Father that wasn't full of hatred and revenge." A tear slides down her cheek, "I hate it how everyone thinks I am this one strong girl who could take care of herself and even though I am, I feel like I have no one to turn to. Everyone seems so busy lately and now . . . now I really have _no one_."

Iroh shakes his head and once Asami finishes talking, he quickly speaks in a soft, smoothing voice, "Asami, you're not alone. I know you probably feel that way because of everything that has happened, but hey, you still got me." He smiles and Asami keeps her eyes fixated on the snow. He smiles and presses his two fingers on her chin, guiding her face to look up at him. He smiles down at her and adds, "I am always here for you. You are strong, independent, beautiful, and have been through so much, but look at you, you are still standing strong."

"I'm sitting here crying, Iroh. I don't really think I'm 'standing strong'." She sighs and watches as he shakes his head. "What?"

"You are crying because you have feelings. You are not fake and you are strong because instead of bottling up all your emotions until you explode, you are letting them out. Now trust me, that is hard for some women."

Asami rolls her eyes and playfully smacks his shoulder. Her lips curve upwards and show a wide smile as she stares up at Iroh. She looks him directly in the eyes and his golden eyes make her heart skip a beat. "Thank you."

Iroh smiles and rubs his hands together, warming them up. He looks up at the night sky and right up at the bright, glowing moon. "The moon is beautiful tonight."

Asami glances at him and then looks up at the moon as well, smiling, "It is. My Mother and I use to stare up at the moon each night, chatting away the most random conversations we could come up with."

Iroh smiles a little before glancing down at the Nonbender next to him. He smiles, "The moon isn't the only thing that is beautiful tonight."

Asami could feel herself blush, but she stays silent, biting her lower lip as she tilts her head to the side. She shivers a little and shakes her head, "I don't understand how Korra could live here. It's freezing."

Iroh chuckles, "It's nice though. Republic City doesn't get this kind of snow either." He looks down at the Nonbender and he could still see the look of pain on her face. He sighs and places his hand gently on her shoulder. She shuts her eyes and sighs and Iroh could see one single tear stream down her cheek.

They sit there in silence for a few moments before Asami's cracked voice speaks, breaking the silence, "I miss my family. I miss how I used to wake up when I was young and run down the stairs and into the kitchen. My parents would be standing by the counters, laughing and saying good morning to me. I miss seeing my Mother smile and I miss hearing my Father laugh. Now, when I go back home to Republic City, I'll be all alone. I will wake up in the large mansion alone and go to bed alone. My Father rotting away in a prison cell while I work on the business we were supposed to work together on by myself. I hate it. I hate all of it!"

More tears start to slide down the girl's face as she slaps her hands over her face and sobs into them. "I hate it . . . I hate being- . . . feeling so alone."

Iroh quickly wraps his strong arms around Asami and he pulls her body against his. She could feel the heat coming off his body and she is quickly being warmed up; he is much warmer than she is and she is wearing two parkas while he is only wearing a short-sleeve shirt!

He cradles her in his arms and holds her tightly against him. He lets her bury her face in his chest as she sobs and her body shaking every time she releases a heavy, loud cry.

The Firebender kisses the top of her head and whispers sweet nothings in her ear, trying to calm her down. They sit there under the night sky and under the glowing moon in silence for what seemed like forever, but he didn't mind. He wanted to help her; he wanted to make her feel better.

He leans his head down so his lips are next to her ear and he quietly says, "You are never alone because no matter what, I am always here for you."

**. . .**

The snow was still falling as Iroh and Asami were walking back to Korra's parents' home. They are walking side by side, talking about random things that come to mind.

"I have to hand it to you, you are one heck of a fighter." Iroh says with a chuckle as he looks down at Asami.

Asami laughs and nods her head, smiling, "You're not too bad yourself, General."

The Firebender chuckles and then looks down at her, concern written on his face, "Are you feeling any better, Asami?"

Asami hesitates before slowly nodding her head, "Yeah . . . yeah, I think so. You helped a lot, Iroh; thank you."

"No need to thank me; I am always here." The General says with a gentle smile. He watches as the raven hair woman looks up at the night sky, smiling. He slows down his pace a little so they could have more time to talk before making it back to the home of Korra's parents.

"You know, Asami, there has been something I have always wanted to tell you." Iroh begins and Asami looks up at him with a curious look. "We have known each other for a few weeks now, more than a few weeks actually. Also, before I came to Republic City, a few friends of mine was giving me some information on the Avatar and her friends so I was prepared and such. When they talked about you, I have to say, I was . . . surprised."

"Surprised?" Asami questions; confused.

The General nods his head and sighs, "The way they told me about you briefly . . . I don't know. You seemed like you were one of a kind and now that I have met you, you are. You seemed so beautiful by the way they described you, even though they didn't even mention your looks."

Asami could the warm sensation on her cheeks as her light cheeks start to turn a shade of dark red. _Thank the Spirits that it's nighttime_. The Nonbender didn't know what to say, so instead, she just smiles up at the Firebender.

The General then stops walking and Asami stops as well, staring up at him with a confused look on her face. _The home is only a few feet away, so, why did he suddenly stop_?

Before Asami could question him, he grabs her hands, and stares down at their joint hands. He licks his –now cracked from the cold air- lips and keeps his golden eyes stuck on their hands.

"Iroh-" Asami begins, but the young General cuts her off. "You said before you feel alone; lost. You felt like everyone you once cared about is now gone and now there is no one left to truly care about you; maybe more than just a friend. The thing is, I care. I have always cared. The moment I saw you and met you, I knew something would happen between the two of us. I just did not know for sure where you and Mako stood, but he is with Avatar Korra now and I am here. I . . . I like you, Asami; I always did and I know I always will."

Asami stares at him with awe; her bright emerald eyes looking up at his bright, royal golden eyes; she always loved his eyes. Even though Mako had amber eyes, Iroh's were this bright, royal gold color she found beautiful.

"You like me?" She finally asks him, blinking her long, black eyelashes at him.

He gives her a crooked smile and nods his head, "Yeah, I do. I may even . . . love you. I know it is probably soon for you and you don't have to give me an answer today, but I want to know maybe sometime in the future if you feel something, we could go out and-" Before the young General could finish, Asami presses her cold lips against his own warm ones.

At first, he is shocked, but he eventually smiles into the kiss. She smiles until they pull away from the kiss and they stare into each other's eyes. It is dark, but they could both see each other's faces perfectly.

"I like you too." Asami finally says after a few moments of silence between the two. She then bites her bottom lip and adds, "I may even love you too." A breeze of cold hair hits the side of both their faces and Asami's long, curly hair pushes in front of her face.

Iroh releases his hands that were once joint with Asami's and he places her hair that went in front of her face behind her ear. He smiles down at her and just laughs; he is so happy right now.

Asami giggles and breaks their eye contact, looking down at the snow. She was feeling so cold before, but now she feels warm. He places his warm hands on each side of her cheeks and she looks up at him slowly. He only smiles before lowering his head and gently placing his lips on hers.

They both smile into the kiss as the snow continues to fall on top of them. Neither of them feeling the cold winds hitting them and neither of them feeling cold; they feel warm.

Asami's smile only widens as they share the passionate kiss and she knows that even with everything that has happened, she has Iroh now and she will be alright. The hole inside of her that felt lonely and lost is not there anymore. Instead, it is replaced with love and that is all she needs.

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**Okay, well that's it! I hope you enjoyed this one-shot on Asami and General Iroh! :)**

_**Please comment/review and let me know what you thought of it, thanks!**_

**Thanks for reading! ^_^**


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